We’ve all heard the expression, “everything in moderation.” It’s an age-old adage that’s been attributed to everyone from Plato to your mom and dad. It’s what we teach in our program, and it applies today more than ever. Since 1980, childhood obesity rates in the U.S. have tripled, which means nearly one out of three children in this country is either overweight or obese

Many kids, as well as adults, do things backwards: eating processed junk food all day long and consuming fruits and vegetables only some of the time. One way to get kids to cut down on processed food is to open their eyes to what’s in their favorite snacks. Show them the ingredients on food labels and explain that processed food is mostly made up of the first ingredients listed.

In a snack cake for instance, that’s white flour, high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil. Then, teach them how to make thoughtful choices by using the “investigate, contemplate, initiate” model. This is a good rule of thumb for adults as well. Before tearing into that snack cake, investigate the ingredients. Then, think about how you’ll feel after eating it. What if you had a healthier snack instead?

You may still decide to eat the cake or skip it altogether. We’re not here to tell kids they can never have snacks. To do that sets everyone up for failure. But we can give them the information and tools they need to make moderation an everyday thing. And when they do opt for cake, make it a homemade one made from organic milk, cage-free eggs and dark chocolate!

Mark is the the President of Ironwill Kids, an organization on a mission to reverse the trend of childhood obesity in this country through their PowerUp! program, a fun and innovative nutrition and wellness curriculum used in schools across the country. He’ll be dropping in from time to time along with his Ironwill colleagues Dr. Katherine Roberts, a professor at Columbia University and Dr. Elizabeth Carlin, a pediatrician at Englewood Hospital.